A public resource guide
Every legitimate way to get rid of furniture, appliances, mattresses, and bulk waste in Seattle, including SPU's fee-based Special Item Pickup ($30 furniture, $38 CFC appliances), free transfer station passes for Utility Discount Program customers, mandatory composting since 2015, free electronics recycling under E-Cycle Washington, and what to do when paid hauling isn't an option.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Seattle takes a different approach than most major U.S. cities: bulk pickup is fee-based, not free. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) charges per-item fees for its Special Item Pickup, $30 for furniture, $38 for CFC-containing appliances like fridges and freezers. The catch is that Utility Discount Program (UDP) customers get up to 2 free pickups per year, and starting April 2026, all SPU customers will get 1 free Special Item Box per year. Mandatory composting has been in place since 2015. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
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Seattle residents have free electronics recycling under E-Cycle Washington (statewide program), free batteries/CFLs/foam pickups (some at no cost, some $5), 2 free Special Item Pickups per year for Utility Discount Program customers, free transfer station passes for UDP customers (twice yearly), mandatory curbside composting under Seattle Municipal Code, and donation pickup programs. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) provides three-cart curbside collection to single-family homes and multi-family buildings throughout City of Seattle limits. Burbank, Bellevue, Renton, Kirkland, Redmond, Shoreline, Burien, and Federal Way are NOT served by SPU.
E-Cycle Washington (free electronics recycling)
Free for residentsE-Cycle Washington is a free statewide program for recycling computers, monitors, TVs, and laptops. Drop off at any participating collection site, many in Seattle. This is the fastest free path for electronics since SPU charges $30 for TV pickup.
What's accepted: Computers, computer monitors, TVs, laptops, e-readers, tablets. Some sites also accept printers, keyboards, mice, and other small electronics.
Where: Find drop-off sites at ecyclewashington.org. Best Buy also offers free electronics recycling year-round.
Cost: Free.
Why this matters: Washington state law (the Electronic Product Recycling Act) bans e-waste from regular trash and funds free recycling for residents.
Special Item Pickup (fee-based, free for UDP)
$5 to $38SPU's Special Item Pickup is a fee-based program for items that don't belong in garbage or home recycling. Schedule online (log into your SPU account) or call (206) 684-3000. The utility account holder must make the request. Items collected on next regular garbage day after scheduling.
No cost: Foam blocks (Styrofoam) and used cooking/motor oil.
$5 per pickup, per item type: Small propane canisters, CFLs, household batteries.
$20 per pickup: Special Items box (multiple small items: electronics, batteries, small appliances together, up to 60 lbs).
$30 per item: Large furniture, appliances, TVs larger than 2’ x 2’ x 2’.
$38 per item: Items containing CFCs (refrigerators, freezers manufactured before 2005). For safety, remove latching doors or secure tightly with rope/duct tape.
UDP customers: Utility Discount Program customers in single-family homes get 2 free Special Item Pickups per year when calling for collection.
Set-out time: 7:00 AM on collection day. Flat, level surface (no stairs), easily accessible from street.
New April 2026: All SPU customers will receive one free pickup of batteries and a Special Item Box annually.
Free transfer station passes (UDP customers)
Free for UDPUtility Discount Program (UDP) customers who receive an SPU bill in their name can receive free transfer station passes up to twice each year. This makes self-haul to Seattle's North or South Transfer Station free for low-income residents.
Eligibility: Utility Discount Program customers with SPU bill in their name.
Limit: Up to 2 free transfer station passes per year.
How to apply: Visit seattle.gov/utilities/discount for UDP application and program details.
Useful for: Larger cleanouts, items beyond Special Item Pickup categories.
Foam blocks & oil (free SPU pickup)
Free with SPUTwo categories of items are picked up at no cost through SPU's Special Item Pickup: foam blocks (Styrofoam/expanded polystyrene) and used cooking or motor oil. Place sealed jugs of oil with your address written on them on regular collection day, no need to schedule.
Foam blocks: Must be Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) blocks or forms. Limit: two 32-gallon bags or smaller per single-family home.
Used oil: Sealed jugs with your address written on them. Place out on regular collection day, no need to request a special pickup.
Both: Free for all SPU customers, no scheduling required for oil.
Freemoval (partner-community pickups)
FreeFreemoval is a social impact program that subsidizes free junk removal pickups in partner communities, typically affordable housing properties and select municipal partnerships. Seattle partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Seattle: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeSeattle-area nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition. Especially valuable in Seattle since SPU bulk pickup is fee-based.
The Salvation Army: Free pickup of clothing, furniture, household items. Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
Habitat for Humanity Stores (Seattle Restore): Multiple Seattle-area locations. Free pickup for furniture, appliances, building materials.
Goodwill of the Olympic and Rainier Region: Donation pickup for larger items in the Seattle metro area.
Buy Nothing & Buy Nothing Project: Hyperlocal Facebook groups across Seattle neighborhoods. Free items get picked up by neighbors directly.
Three-cart system. SPU provides curbside collection to single-family homes and multi-family buildings throughout City of Seattle limits: garbage (gray cart, weekly or biweekly depending on size), recycling (blue cart, every other week), food & yard waste (green cart, weekly). All three are address-based and collected on the same weekday.
Mandatory composting since 2015. Seattle Municipal Code (SMC 21.36.082-083) requires all households to separate food and yard waste from garbage. Since 2015, it is illegal to put food scraps, food-soiled paper, or yard debris in the garbage cart. Separate composting has been required for all 1-4 unit households since 2012. Prohibited items in the wrong cart can result in collection refusal or warning tag.
Mandatory subscription. All Seattle residents and businesses are required to subscribe to garbage service. The city operates one of the strictest waste diversion programs in the nation under SMC 21.36.
Cart sizes. Garbage carts range from mini (12 gallon) to large (96 gallon). Recycling and food/yard waste collection are included in the garbage rate at no additional charge. Smaller cart = lower monthly bill.
Set-out rules. By 7:00 AM on collection day. After 6 PM the night before is acceptable. Leave at least 2 feet between carts and 5 feet between carts and other objects. Lids must be securely shut, materials should not extend beyond the container rim.
Holiday delays. Seattle observes 3 holidays that cause one-day collection delays: New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas. All other federal holidays (MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day) do NOT affect collection, service runs as normal. This is unusually generous compared to most major U.S. cities.
Backyard pickup available. If you have trouble moving carts to the curb, SPU offers backyard pickup for an additional $26-$52 per month depending on cart count. Useful for elderly or disabled residents.
Christmas tree pickup. Free curbside collection from December 26 through January 31. Remove all decorations, lights, tinsel, and stands. Cut into sections no more than 4 feet long. Place beside (not inside) the green cart on regular collection day. Apartment residents may place up to two trees next to each food & yard waste cart.
Service area limits. SPU serves only properties within City of Seattle limits. Bellevue, Renton, Kirkland, Redmond, Shoreline, Burien, and Federal Way have their own solid waste programs. Contact King County at kingcounty.gov/solidwaste for resources outside Seattle.
Apartment buildings. Apartment residents (5+ unit buildings) cannot personally schedule Special Item Pickup, the property manager or building owner must request it. The driver does not carry keys or fobs, so set-out location must be coordinated with building management.
Coming in 2027. SPU has announced that in 2027, Special Item Pickup will expand to include large electronic items and bulky furniture as part of free annual service. SPU is also working to extend Special Item Pickup access to apartment building residents.
Seattle Public Utilities. Customer service: (206) 684-3000. seattle.gov/utilities. Available Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-6 PM.
Seattle's donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
Items typically not accepted: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don't work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), and exercise equipment that requires reassembly. Always call before scheduling if you're unsure, pickups that find unacceptable items will leave them behind.
For households who want same-day or next-day service, exceed Special Item Pickup item limits, or live in 5+ unit apartments without property manager coordination, paid options are available. Note: SPU's fees ($30 for furniture, $38 for CFC appliances) are competitive with private haulers for small jobs, comparison-shop based on volume and timeline.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For households who need same-day service, want full-service hauling (no curbside drag-out required), or live in apartment buildings without property manager Special Item Pickup coordination, LoadUp offers professional removal in Seattle with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What's included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes, crew handles in-home pickup.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
When this beats SPU: Same-day timeline (SPU schedules 1-3 weeks out), in-home pickup needed, multiple items at once (volume discounts), or apartment without management coordination.
Other paid services in Seattle: 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Junk King, comparison-shop for larger jobs.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book a Seattle pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules in Seattle. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Seattle residents can dispose of household hazardous waste through King County's HazWaste mobile collection events (free) or at the Hazardous Waste Disposal Facilities. Several retailers also offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, and most pharmacies for unused medications. SPU offers $5 pickup of batteries, CFLs, and small propane canisters as Special Item Pickups, and free pickup of foam blocks and used cooking/motor oil. Washington state law (the Electronic Product Recycling Act) bans e-waste from regular trash and funds free recycling under E-Cycle Washington.
To report illegal dumping in Seattle, use SPU's Clean City program at seattle.gov/utilities or call (206) 684-3000. Reports can also be filed via the Find It, Fix It app. Include the location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. SPU actively investigates dumping reports. If you're considering dumping because Special Item Pickup fees are unaffordable, please apply for the Utility Discount Program (UDP), UDP customers get 2 free Special Item Pickups per year plus 2 free transfer station passes per year. The UDP application is at seattle.gov/utilities/discount.
Is junk removal really free in Seattle?
Mostly no, Seattle is one of the few major U.S. cities where bulk pickup is fee-based. SPU's Special Item Pickup charges $30 per item for furniture and TVs, $38 for CFC-containing appliances (fridges, freezers), $20 for a box of small special items, and $5 for batteries/CFLs/propane. Foam blocks (Styrofoam) and used motor or cooking oil ARE free. Utility Discount Program (UDP) customers get 2 free Special Item Pickups per year plus 2 free transfer station passes per year, this makes Seattle's system effectively free for low-income residents. Starting April 2026, all SPU customers will get 1 free pickup of batteries and a Special Item Box annually. Electronics are free statewide via E-Cycle Washington.
How does the Utility Discount Program (UDP) work?
UDP is Seattle Public Utilities' low-income discount program. Eligible customers (based on income) receive 50% off SPU and Seattle City Light bills. UDP customers in single-family homes also get 2 free Special Item Pickups per year (just mention you're a UDP customer when calling) and up to 2 free transfer station passes per year. Apply at seattle.gov/utilities/discount. The application includes income verification but is straightforward.
Why is composting mandatory in Seattle?
Seattle Municipal Code (SMC 21.36.082-083) has required all households to separate food and yard waste from garbage since 2015. Separate composting has been required for all 1-4 unit households since 2012. The goal is to maximize landfill diversion and meet Seattle's zero-waste targets. Putting food scraps, food-soiled paper, or yard debris in the garbage cart can result in collection refusal or warning tags. The green cart accepts all food scraps including meat, fish, bones, shellfish, and dairy, items that backyard compost piles can't handle.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Seattle?
Freemoval works through partner communities, typically affordable housing operators, public housing authorities, and select municipal partnerships. We’re actively expanding partnerships in Seattle through 2026. If your property is part of the program, your property manager will provide a booking code. If you operate housing or work in a city department in Seattle, contact us to discuss adding your community.
I live in a Seattle apartment. Can I schedule Special Item Pickup?
No, apartment residents (5+ unit buildings) cannot personally schedule SPU's Special Item Pickup. The person responsible for the SPU bill (property manager or building owner) must make the request. The driver does not carry keys or fobs, so the set-out location must be coordinated with building management. SPU has announced plans to extend Special Item Pickup access to apartment building residents in 2027. Until then, your options are: (1) Ask your property manager to schedule for you. (2) Use E-Cycle Washington for electronics (free). (3) Use Buy Nothing groups, donation pickups, or paid haulers like LoadUp.
How do I dispose of a refrigerator in Seattle?
Refrigerators and freezers manufactured before 2005 contain CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and require special handling under federal EPA rules. Schedule SPU Special Item Pickup ($38 per CFC item). For safety, remove the door if it has a latch, OR secure the door tightly with rope or duct tape so it cannot open during transport. Newer refrigerators (post-2005) typically use HFC refrigerants and are charged at the standard $30 large appliance rate. Many appliance retailers also offer free haul-away with delivery of a replacement, ask before purchase.
How do I report illegal dumping in Seattle?
Use SPU's Clean City program at seattle.gov/utilities or call (206) 684-3000. Reports can also be filed via the Find It, Fix It app. Include location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible.
Is this page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated May 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
Freemoval is actively onboarding Seattle partner properties through 2026. Reach out to prioritize your community.
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